If sending a SMS within Canada, will the person get the message from a Canadian Number ?

I am wondering if I pick up the inReach Mini 2 and a plan, will it send SMS from a Canadian number when used within Canada. My Familyhas unlimited Text and Call for all of Canada, But USA texts cost $0.15 a text both ways.

  • You will have to open a support ticket to get a definitive answer.

    Garmin uses third-party SMS gateways to access the "local" cell network (for the target SMS number). I know that the gateway DOES vary with the target cell number. But I don't know that you could guarantee that the gateway itself would have a Canadian number. I would GUESS that it PROBABLY would, but it's just a guess.

    Note that the choice of gateway has nothing to do with the location of the iR device when you SEND the SMS. OR with the registered nationality of the account of the iR device. It has to do with the "home" location of the recipient's cell number.

  • Oh ok, sounds like it would take a Canadian number and not a USA one. 

    If anyone here on the forums lives in Canada and uses the inReach service, please let me know if the number for sms is Canadian or US for your experience. 

    In the meantime, I’ll reach out to Garmin support but I got a funny feeling I won’t get a true answer from tech support on this, haven’t had much of a good experience so far with getting answers or fixes with Garmin tech support in the last 3 months after Garmin developers messed up the Drive app for iOS and accidentally removed a main feature of Picture in Picture for multiple dashcam’s, and they still haven’t taken the time to look into my support case. They just tell me each week or so since March 9th when I ask about it, that it hasn’t been looked at but it’s a top priority for the support team “almost 4 months now”.

    But hopefully “fingers crossed” they can answer this question as I really like to get the Mini 2, especially now that we are planing group trips for ATV’s and camping completely miles and miles away from towns and any service for summer and fall. Plus I tend to do a bit of hiking on my own without others in my free time, so should probably look into getting something as I’m not getting any younger.

  • I can confirm, that the so called 'large account' used for the delivery of the SMS has basically a number which is 'within' the country where the destination number belongs.

    e.g.

    the destination phone has +49...... (Germany), then the sending number will also have +49....

  • I believe that usually it's true, but not always. When I was sending messages from InReach to Ukrainian recipients they were receiving the messages from an Australian (!!!) number (it was about a year ago).

  • it depend on if garmin has a 'large account' established in that country

    if not, it has to take what ever is available

  • I'm not sure what this means. My understanding is that Garmin contracts with SMS portal providers in different locations around the world. While Garmin might TRY to have a provider in each target country, I am pretty sure that's not always the case. Australia vs. the Ukraine seems rather extreme. But I would not expect that Garmin could guarantee a gateway in each target country.

  • even within Switzerland we used to have problem with one of the local provider who refused to deliver sms send by an other local provider via his 'large account'.

    I remember we had to involve government communication regulation office to solve all.